


You light me up

by plikki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Ice Skating, Just a sprinkle of pining, LadyNoir - Freeform, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27951302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir get their own light statues at the Festival of Lights so it's a night of celebration they don't want to end.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 20
Kudos: 91
Collections: December 2020 - Advent Calendar





	You light me up

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [ Miraculous Fanworks Discord](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) Advent Calendar day 8 - La Night Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights).
> 
> Pure LadyNoir for the soul. That's it!
> 
> edit: now including wonderful art by [MysticMiraculer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticMiraculer) !💗

If she didn’t know she was in Jardin des Plantes, Marinette wouldn’t have believed it. Gone were the fields of tulips and roses she’d seen there in the spring. It was so dark that she couldn’t really see anyway but the air wasn’t filled with the familiar heady aroma. Instead, it smelled of snow and cold and smoke. 

And while the sky was dark and she could barely make out her own form in the dark, giant light sculptures dotted the gardens. It was fascinating. From sea creatures and various animals to Christmas scenes. And of course, smack in the middle, Ladybug and Chat Noir, the centrepiece of this year’s Festival of lights. 

Whoever was responsible for their sculptures, had done a great job, she had to admit. Both she and Chat shined in the darkness, intricate details woven into the sculptures, like her yo-yo and Chat’s bell. They both looked so life-like. She looked like she was really leaping in the air, the yo-yo swishing around her, while Chat was practically vibrating with the energy of the impending jump. 

Earlier, there had been fireworks, people had come and gone, everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of the heroes - both the sculptures and the real ones. It had been a night for celebrations and while she felt drained from all the attention and her mouth hurt from smiling, Marinette felt content. More happy and relaxed people meant less chance of a surprising akuma attack.

Now the gardens were practically empty. It was late and the air was positively freezing. But when Chat had offered for them to share some hot chocolate and walk around, she’d agreed. She didn’t feel like going home, she needed to unwind with his calm and steady presence by her side.

She felt the smell of cocoa even before he stopped beside her. She looked up at him with a smile. The Santa hat on top of his head was totally adorable and suited him. The vapour from the plastic cups in his hands was filling the air, reminding her just how cold it was. She only felt the pinch of cold on her cheeks so it was easy to forget. It was one of those moments when she was thankful for listening to Chat’s idea.

He’d offered for them to use their ice power-ups for the evening celebrations and she’d been sceptic at first. When it turned out they could remove their ice skates, she’d relented. Now she was happy for the soft warmth her suit offered her. 

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, when he handed her a cup. “I’m just admiring the sculptures. The artist did a great job. Just look at them,” she prompted, pointing at them with the hand holding the cup.

“I agree they are amazing but I kind of prefer the real-life version, it’s hard to rival that beauty,” she heard him say and found him looking at her with a smile, not even paying attention to the sculptures. It wasn’t something she hadn’t heard before but it somehow made her cheeks go warm even in the cold air.

“Flatterer,” she mumbled, taking a sip from her cup to hide her embarrassment. It was a miracle she didn’t burn her tongue in the process, but it gave her a few seconds to compose herself.

“Are we ready to go?” he asked, eyeing the empty alleys around them. She tried not to be distracted by the way he licked the whipped cream from his lips, but failed miserably. He was so unselfconscious about it, making it look adorable, but still set off a swarm of butterflies in her stomach that she didn’t know what to do with. It wasn’t the first instance of her feeling like that around him too, which was all the more worrying. 

“Yes, let’s go,” she agreed, looking for any way out of how she felt. They took their ice skates in hand and looked one last time at the light sculptures in their honour before walking away.

Soon they were out of the gardens and walking along the Seine. The hot chocolate warmed Marinette from the inside and she felt even better. Away from the commotion and the pressure of being the centre of attention, she could finally relax. It was especially easy in good company, but when she didn’t have to look at him and get disturbingly distracted.

She and Chat walked slowly, eyeing the city lit up in various colours in the festive night. There was Notre-Dam, even more beautiful than usual. Pont des Arts was lit up in rainbow colours as well, making them share a smile. They considered crossing the river at Pont Alexandre III, but didn’t do it. The night was peaceful and beautiful but there was only one thing missing for it to be perfect, at least in Marinette’s eyes.

When she felt something cold and moist touch her face, she laughed in delight. Looking up, she saw the snowflakes dancing in the dark and felt her heart fill with joy.. 

“Snow,” she squealed, turning to Chat with a wide smile. She turned around in a circle, feeling like a small child once again. When she stopped from fear of getting dizzy, he was looking at her with unmistakable adoration in his eyes.

“I love seeing you like this,” he said softly. “You deserve to put your hair down more often.” She tugged at one of her pigtails with a giggle, but she knew what he meant. “Do you want the hat?” He asked. “You’ll get wet.”

“No,” she shook her head. “It looks better on you,” she added with a wink and he grinned at her.

“How about putting the ice skates to good use?” he asked, pointing behind her and she turned around, amazed to see they’d already reached the skating rink at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. She hadn’t felt the time or the distance they’d walked at all.

“Show me what you got, kitty,” she threw over her shoulder and headed to a bench where she sat down to put her skates on. The rink, like everything else, was practically empty in the cold night. She was just starting to realise how late it was but she was sure no one would check on her. And the next day was Saturday and the start of Christmas break, they could live a little!

The guard paused when he saw them nearing the ice rink, but when he made out that the shadowy figures were none other than Paris’ superheroes, he motioned for them to hop on and even switched on some lights.

“I’m really grateful that the power-up comes with good ice-skating skills,” Marinette told Chat when he joined her on the ice and they moved with ease. 

“You mean you can’t do this without the magic?” he asked as he twirled and leapt in the air, landing gracefully on his feet and bowing dramatically. She couldn’t help the soft giggle that puffed out of her mouth as the movements sent the Santa hat flying. 

“No, I actually can’t,” she replied as he went to pick it up. Adorable didn’t even begin to describe him, she admitted to herself.

“But you can ice-skate?” he asked, glancing at her curiously. It was a small detail from her civilian life that she could share without risking too much, she decided. 

“Yes. At least I’ve tried. Although I’ve suffered more than one nasty fall,” she laughed. Her mind decided it would be fun to remind her of that one disastrous date with Adrien, Luka and Kagami. She hadn’t gone ice-skating after that, the memories still making her feel ashamed. 

A hand closed around hers and she looked down in surprise, the past images dissipating. It was different now.

“Come, let’s show off a little,” Chat said softly and she let him guide her on the ice. They smiled at each other at how effortlessly it all was. The lit-up tower over them, the falling snow and the air filled with just the scratching of the skates on the ice made everything magical. She was enjoying herself in a way she could only when she was with him. 

They did a few rounds of the rink, interrupting their skating with a silly routine every now and then. Their laughter rang in the night and warmed Marinette’s heart. They were so busy thinking about plots to fight akumas or finally defeat Hawk Moth that having fun slipped their minds entirely most of the time. It was nice to be able to let go even for a little bit. They stopped only when they heard distant bells ring in the twelfth hour.

“The princess is not going to turn into a pumpkin, right?” Chat asked, eyeing the small crown nestled in her hair. 

“No,” she laughed. “Princesses just lose their shoes normally. But I won’t lose shoes or attire at midnight, don’t worry.”

“Pity,” he shrugged, but there was no bitterness in his words. She was glad that he’d accepted that this was the only way things could be for now. The secrets didn’t seem to bother him that much anymore and she found she felt the same way. She felt so good with him, as if he knew her better than anyone else in spite of not even knowing her name. So it didn’t matter. The occasional twinge she felt when imagining being free to tell him who she was and finding out his identity, she stifled quickly.

“But maybe it’s a good idea to head home. It’s past my bedtime and I’m feeling it,” she noted, swallowing a yawn. The evening was lovely but had to come to an end eventually.

“I guess you won’t let me walk you home?” he suggested with a grin.

“Nice try,” she shot back. 

What she did next surprised even her, but it was him who gasped when she threw her arms around him. Hugs were nothing new for them, but were still rare enough to justify their surprise. But when he wrapped his arms around her, she realised they should do it more often.

There was something amazingly comforting about feeling his warmth and the steady heartbeat under her cheek. 

Another twinge as for a second she wished it could be different. That he could know all of her, walk her home and kiss her goodnight. A soft sigh escaped her mouth. This was enough, she reminded herself. They were there for each other and knew how much was at stake. 

When she finally made herself pull back and shivered a little at the loss of contact, she felt something soft plop on her head. She looked up to see Chat grinning at her as he adjusted the hat on her head. 

“Keep it, it goes with your suit,” he murmured, something inscrutable in his eyes. 

“You won’t turn into an icicle on the way home?” she joked half-heartedly. It was always harder to let him go after sharing a soft moment with him.

“No, I’ll be there in the blink of an eye!” His smile dimmed as he seemed to remember something. “Does no school mean I won’t see you?” He asked timidly.

“No!” She barked a laugh. “Although won’t you have holiday things to do with your family?” She knew she would be busy at the bakery and with preparations for Christmas.

“Knowing my family, I’ll be grateful for every excuse to get out of the house, especially with no school.” His eyes turned sad for a second, but he shook it off.

“Well, we can use the ice power-ups more often then. The cold and snow won’t stop us from patrols,” she hurried to say, looking to offer some way out for him. “Christmas?” she looked questioningly at him.

“I’m sure you have plans.” He was trying hard to conceal it, but she could still hear the longing in his words. They knew each other too well.

“I’ll still have time for you,” she said softly. 

“I’ll love that,” he replied, radiating happiness in spite of his attempt to keep it cool. 

“Thanks for being there with me tonight, facing all those people was easier with you. Also thank you for the walk,” she added, although the words didn’t encompass everything she’d felt and was grateful for. There were a lot of things she couldn’t say so this would have to do for now.

“The pleasure was all mine, m’lady,” he said with a wink.

“Don’t be so sure about that,” she whispered before rising on her tiptoes and placing a soft kiss on his cold cheek. She heard him chuckle and realised that the fluffy hat was tickling his nose.

She pulled back with a smile and shook her head to make the pom-pom swing wildly. This was what she loved the most, how they sometimes made the awkwardness dissipate even without meaning to.

“See you tomorrow! Sweet dreams, kitty!” She said before turning around and heading home, her heart full to the brim. 


End file.
